Propel Morning Briefing

Greene King – leisure spending down in June during stay-at-home World Cup

The Greene King Leisure Tracker has found the average British household spent £180 on out-of-home leisure in June, a fall of £12 against May, largely driven down by a 15% fall in “other leisure” spending. Spend levels on eating out picked up slightly in June, after a considerable fall in spend between April and May.

Despite the World Cup taking place from 12 June, the average British household cut back spend on drinking out by £3, to £40, in the month compared to May.

Deep discounting on alcohol among major supermarkets coupled with the timing of fixtures and England’s early exit are expected to have played a part in influencing British households to watch the World Cup in their homes.

The World Cup and continued consumer caution are likely to have contributed to a slowdown in total household leisure spend. In June, there was a 6% decline in total household leisure spending from May, which is thought to be as a direct result of people staying at home to watch World Cup games.

The largest decline was in “other leisure” spending, which was down 15% compared to May. “Other leisure”, including activities such as bowling, live events and theatre, is likely to have been substituted by staying in and watching the tournament on TV.

However, eating out saw modest spend growth of 5%, as the drier weather gave more opportunities for people less interested in the football to dine out.

Steve Jebson, Greene King’s commercial director, said: “It has been a mixed month for leisure spending, with eating out up, but drinking out and other leisure down. The World Cup is bound to have affected household leisure decisions, with many choosing to stay at home and watch the tournament on TV. Furthermore, latest figures on consumer confidence have shown that, while people are feeling more confident about the improving economy, on a personal level they are still feeling cautious about their own financial situation.”

Supermarkets also gave people a reason to stay at home, with heavy discounts on alcohol. Jebson said: “We know that people spent more money on beer to drink at home in June, as sales in supermarkets grew by 19%, another reason why this month’s figures are lower than May’s. However, we anticipate that July’s figures are likely to recover, as the weather has generally improved and there are fewer sporting events on TV.”

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